Display-rack.



EAJIENTED AUG. 11, 1903.

T. RQLBB'.g DISPLAY RAGE), APPLIoATgoN' FILED um. 1. 1902;.,

no Konin JNE Noms areas co4 Hom-Unull whsmnmou. n c,

i UNITED STATES? Patented August 1 1:19091 `TnEoDoRE BABE, on NEwBREMEN, onio.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,296, dated August11, 1903. Application filed December l, 1902. Serial No. 133.406. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, THEoDoEE RABE,a citizen of the United States,residing at New Bremen, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Display-Rack, of which the following is aspeciication. l

My device is an improvement in displayracks for lacewindow-curtains,portires, the.

The object of my device is to enable the curtains to be properlydisplayed and then returned to their original position at the smallestexpense of time and labor and without necessarily handling the curtainsthemselves.

I am aware that devices have been devised whereby one ortwo curtainswere exhibited at a time; and the main object of` m'yA device is torender it unnecessary for the salesman to. successively withdraw anumber of cur tain-supports; and,broadly,my invention consists in meanswhereby all the curtains will be withdrawn at the same time andautomatically spaced apart for display purposes.

In" the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective Aviewof myimproved device, showing the curtains partially withdrawn for thepurpose of display. Fig. 2 is 'an elevation, partly in section, showingthe cable to which the curtain-supports are attached, two

of the supporting-frames being shown on the cable. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of one end of the curtain-supportingframe.`

Fig. 3fL is a similar view of the opposite end of the frame. Figs. 4.and 5 are detail views of construction.

In carrying out my invention I secure in the opposite walls of thestore-room four an-l chors, two being secured in each wall. An

, opening is rst madein the wall, which is presumably of brick or stone,and the anchor introducedtherein. This anchor consists of a split tubeA, (shown in Fig. 4,) a perforated threaded circular nut A', fitting theinterior of the split portion of the tube, and the threaded shank.Aalsofshown in detail in Fig. 4. Thetube is placed in position in thewall,and turning the threaded shank the nut is drawn outward into theforward end of the tube, thus forcing its opposite ends apart andsecurely binding it in position. A collar A3 is positioned on the shankbetween the tube and eye to prevent the shank being drawn inward whenturned. "Secured to the eye A"1 of this anchor in the usualmanner is thecable or Vrod B, and at one end a turnbuckle Bf is interposed to take upthe slack of a cable or increase the tension on a rod. These cables maybe spaced apart any desired width.

The curtain-supporting frame consists of two rectangular pieces of woodof a length slightly in excess of the width of the curtain to besupported. These frames C are hinged together at one end, as shown atC', Fig. 3a. At the opposite end a bail C2 is pivotally secured by asuitable bolt to one member of the frame and is adapted to clamp theother member between the bow of the bail and the frame to which it ispivoted, as in Fig. 3. On

the top of the frame adjacent each end is rigidly secured aninverted-U-shaped member D, having revolubly mounted therein a roller D.This roller is of a sufficient height above the frame to readily permitthe passage of the cable between the two, as shown in Fig. 2.` It isobvious that the cables will form a track and that the supporting-framewill travel along same as a suspended or inverted truck. On the outersides of these frame members staples E are secured, and the severalframes are connected by cords E', fastened to the staples, the cordsbeing of a length equal to the maximum space desired between thecurtains when the same are displayed. In order to protect the curtainsfrom dust, &c., while stored away, a canopy F is suspended in anypreferred way from the ceiling on that side of the store where thecurtains are to be kept. When unclamped, the free ends of the frames areswung apart and the ends of the curtain inserted. The

frames are then clamped together again and the curtain securely heldtherein. `Then not being examined by customers, the frames are rolledbeneath the canopy, resting adjacent one'another. When it is desired toe'xhibit the curtains, the first frame is drawn by l the cords acrossthe store, and as all 'the frames are connected by the cords all` willbe successively drawn out as the slack of the respective cords is takenup and all will be automatically spaced apart the length of the cord. Ifdesired, the forward end of the cable might be secured at a point alittle above the ICO rear end, thus facilitating the return of the freeend of one member and adapted to fit curtains to their originalposition. over the free end of the other member, in-

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modificaverted- U -shaped bracketsmounted on the I 5 tion, the eye D2 taking the place of the roller uppersurface of one member of the frame 5 D', as will be readily understood.adjacent each end, and rollers journaled in Having thus fully describedmy invention, said brackets above the frame and adapted what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by to travel 0n the cables, and llexible meansLetters Patent, isconnecting the frames.

A device of the kind described comprising THEODORE BABE. 1o parallelcables, movable frames consisting of Witnesses:

parallel members hinged together at one end, AUGUST FAEHL,

an open rectangular member pivoted to the t FERD ith-WEER.`

